THURSDAY NIGHT. >>> AND GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN
FROM OUR NBC NEWS HEADQUARTERS
HERE IN NEW YORK.
DAY 875 OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION.
ADMINISTRATION. THE PRESIDENT IS IN SOMETHING OF
A MESS OF HIS OWN MAKING,
STARTING WITH HIS COMMENTS
YESTERDAY THAT HE, INDEED, WOULD
BE OPEN TO DIRT ON A POLITICAL
OPPONENT IF OFFERED BY A FOREIGN
POWER.
POWER. AS HE PUT IT TO ABC NEWS, "I
THINK I’D TAKE IT."
HE WENT ON TO ADD THIS.
>> WHEN SOMEBODY COMES UP WITH
OPPO RESEARCH, RIGHT, THEY COME
UP WITH OPPO RESEARCH, OH, LET’S
CALL THE FBI.
THE FBI DOESN’T HAVE ENOUGH
AGENTS TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
BUT YOU GO AND TALK HONESTLY TO
CONGRESSMEN, THEY ALL DO IT,
THEY ALWAYS HAVE, AND THAT’S THE
WAY IT IS.
IT’S CALLED OPPO RESEARCH.
>> TWO MONTHS AGO ROBERT MUELLER
DETAILED MULTIPLE RUSSIAN OFFERS
OF STANCE TOASSISTANCE TO THE TR
CAMPAIGN IN HIS REPORT.
THE INVESTIGATION FOUND 140
CONTACTS BETWEEN TRUMP OFFICIALS
AND RUSSIANS.
AND RUSSIANS. THIS MORNING AS THE CONTROVERSY
OVER TRUMP’S COMMENTS WAS
BUILDING, HE DEFENDED HIMSELF ON
SOCIAL MEDIA, AND WE QUOTE, "I
MEET AND TALK TO FOREIGN
GOVERNMENTS EVERY DAY.
I JUST MET WITH THE QUEEN OF
ENGLAND, UK, THE PRINCE OF
WALES, AND WE’RE PRETTY SURE
HERE HE MEANT WALES WITHOUT THE
"H," NOT THE SEA-GOING ANIMALS,
THE PM OF THE UNITED KINGDOM,
THE PM OF IRELAND, THE PRESIDENT
OF FRANCE AND THE PRESIDENT OF
POLAND.
POLAND. WE TALKED ABOUT EVERYTHING WITH
A CAPITAL "E."
HOW RIDICULOUS.
HOW RIDICULOUS. I WOULD NEVER BE TRUSTED AGAIN."
THE WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATION
SWAP SWUNG INTO ACTION WITH ITS
OWN EXPLANATION OF TRUMP’S
COMMENTS, INCLUDING HIS
ASSERTION THAT THE FBI SHOULD
NOT BE ALERTED ABOUT ATTEMPTED
ELECTION INTERFERENCE.
ELECTION INTERFERENCE. >> I WAS STANDING JUST FEET AWAY
FROM THE PRESIDENT IN HIS
EXCHANGE WITH GEORGE
STEPHANOPOULOS.
STEPHANOPOULOS. IT WAS VERY CLEAR THE PRESIDENT
SAID IF THERE WAS WRONGDOING, OF
COURSE HE’D TURN IT OVER TO THE
FBI.
FBI. >> THE INTERVIEWER,
STEPHANOPOULOS, DID POINT OUT
THE FBI DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHER
WRAY HAS SAID CAMPAIGNS SHOULD
REACH OUT TO THE BUREAU IF THEY
ARE CONTACTED BY A FOREIGN
ENTITY.
ENTITY. THE PRESIDENT RESPONDED "THE FBI
DIRECTOR IS WRONG."
>> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. BUT, FIRST OF ALL, I THINK WE
WERE TALKING ABOUT JAMES COMEY
AT THE TIME AND WE ALL KNOW
JAMES COMEY IS WRONG AFTER BEING
A CONVICTED LIAR AND LEAKER, SO
THAT’S WHAT THE PRESIDENT WAS
TALKING ABOUT.
TALKING ABOUT. >> NOT CLEAR THERE.
MEMBERS OF TRUMP’S OWN PARTY
ALSO WEIGHED IN.
HERE’S HOW TWO OF HIS STRONGEST
SUPPORTERS IN CONGRESS REACTED.
>> IT IS NOT OKAY FOR ANY PUBLIC
OFFICIAL TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE
FROM A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT.
WHETHER IT BE ANYTHING OF VALUE,
MONEY OR OPPOSITION RESEARCH.
I HOPE WE’LL DO TWO THINGS.
WE’LL MAKE THAT CLEAR TO
EVERYBODY SO THAT WE DON’T GO
DOWN THIS ROAD AND THEN WE’LL
LOOK AT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016
WITH CHRISTOPHER STEELE BECAUSE
HE WAS A FOREIGN AGENT PAID FOR
BY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO DO
OPPOSITION RESEARCH ON TRUMP.
>> IS IT RIGHT FOR THE PRESIDENT
TO SAY HE WOULD LISTEN IF
FOREIGNERS OFFERED DIRT ON HIS
POLITICAL OPPONENTS?
POLITICAL OPPONENTS? IS THAT THE KIND OF HELP YOU
WOULD TAKE.
WOULD TAKE. >> YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT A
HYPOTHETICAL.
HYPOTHETICAL. >> WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE?
>> ASK A QUESTION.
>> DOESN’T THE PRESIDENT HAVE TO
SET A TONE ABOUT WHAT IS RIGHT
AND WHAT IS WRONG?
>> I THINK THE PRESIDENT’S BEEN
VERY CLEAR.
VERY CLEAR. THE PRESIDENT DOES NOT WANT
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS TO INTERFERE
IN OUR ELECTIONS.
HE’S BEEN VERY STRONG ABOUT
THAT.
THAT. >> ABOUT ASSISTANCE.
>> HE DID NOT SAY HE WOULD HAVE
A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT --
>> HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK AT THE
INFORMATION, LISTEN TO IT, AND
IF THERE WERE A PROBLEM, HE’D GO
TO THE FBI.
>> I’VE WATCHED THE PRESIDENT.
I BELIEVE THE PRESIDENT WOULD
ALWAYS DO THE RIGHT ACTION.
>> SO WHILE A LOT OF REPUBLICANS
TODAY DEFLECTED TO HILLARY, TO
STEELE, TO COMEY, NANCY PELOSI’S
REACTION COULD BE CALLED
UNSPARING AND YET CAREFUL.
>> WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID LAST
NIGHT SHOWS CLEARLY, ONCE AGAIN,
OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THAT HE
DOES NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, AND
THAT’S PROBABLY THE NICEST THING
I CAN SAY ABOUT HIM.
>> WOULD YOU CONSIDER THAT
GROUNDS TO LAUNCH IMPEACHMENT
PROCEEDINGS?
PROCEEDINGS? >> IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY
CAMPAIGN.
CAMPAIGN. MAKE SURE -- I WANT YOU ALL TO
UNDERSTAND THAT.
UNDERSTAND THAT. AS WE GO DOWN THIS PATH TO SEEK
THE TRUTH FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE, AND TO HOLD THE
PRESIDENT ACCOUNTABLE, IT HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS.
OR ANY CAMPAIGNS.
>> EARLIER TONIGHT THE
CHAIRWOMAN OF THE FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION OFFERED A
VERY RARE AND VERY BLUNT PUBLIC
WARNING.
WARNING. WE CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING QUITE
LIKE THIS BEFORE.
AND WE QUOTE.
"I WOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT THAT I
NEEDED TO STAY THIS.
LET ME MAKE SOMETHING 100% CLEAR
TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC AND
ANYONE RUNNING FOR PUBLIC
OFFICE.
OFFICE. IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANY PERSON TO
SOLICIT, ACCEPT OR RECEIVE
ANYTHING OF VALUE FROM A FOREIGN
NATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE
U.S. ELECTION.
U.S. ELECTION. THIS IS NOT A NOVEL CONCEPT.
ANY POLITICAL CAMPAIGN THAT
RECEIVES AN OFFER OF A
PROHIBITED DONATIONS FROM A
FOREIGN SOURCE SHOULD REPORT
THAT OFFER TO THE FEDERAL BUREAU
OF INVESTIGATION."
OF INVESTIGATION." THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, AND IT ALL
COMES AS THE PRESIDENT IS JUST A
COUPLE OF WEEKS AWAY FROM A
PLANNED MEETING WITH VLADIMIR
PUTIN WHEN THEY ATTEND THAT G20
SUMMIT IN JAPAN.
IN AN INTERVIEW YESTERDAY, PUTIN
[ SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE ] >>> MEANWHILE, THERE ARE ALSO
NEW DEVELOPMENTS TONIGHT
INVOLVING TWO OF THE PRESIDENT’S
CLOSEST AIDES, WHITE HOUSE PRESS
SECRETARY SARAH SANDERS IS
LEAVING AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS
ON THE JOB.
IN FAIRNESS, WE HAVEN’T SEEN HER
A LOT.
A LOT. SHE TALKS TO REPORTERS IN THE
DRIVEWAY SOMETIMES BUT IT’S BEEN
94 DAYS SINCE SHE HELD A PRESS
BRIEFING.
BRIEFING. AND AN INDEPENDENT FEDERAL
WATCHDOG APPOINTED BY THE
PRESIDENT IS URGING THE WHITE
HOUSE TO REMOVE KELLYANNE CONWAY
FOR VIOLATING THE HATCH ACT,
WHICH EVEN IN TERNSTERNS AT THE
HOUSE LEARN PROHIBITS WHITE
HOUSE POLITICKING BY PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE IDEALLY
YOU’RE WORKING FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. CONWAY HAS REPEATEDLY WEIGHED IN
ON POLITICAL CANDIDATES OVER THE
PAST YEAR.
PAST YEAR. HERE SHE IS TALKING ABOUT THE
2020 DEMOCRATS.
2020 DEMOCRATS. >> IF HE WERE A REPUBLICAN
RUNNING AGAINST HIM, THEY WOULD
IMMEDIATELY CALL HIM A SEXIST.
I’D ALSO ASK HIM, WHAT EXACTLY
HAVE YOU ACCOMPLISHED THAT
QUALIFIES YOU TO BE THE
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. I’VE YET TO SEE PRESIDENTIAL
TIMBER, I JUST SEE PRESIDENTIAL
WOOD SHIPS.
WOOD SHIPS. AMY KLOBUCHAR SEEMS TO BE VERY
NICE UNLESS YOU’RE ON HER STAFF.
ELIZABETH WARREN IS RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT. SHE TRIED TO APPROPRIATE
SOMEBODY ELSE’S ETHNICITY.
>> SO MUCH TO TALK ABOUT.
SO LITTLE TIME.
HERE FOR OUR LEADOFF DISCUSSION,
PETER BAKER, CORRESPONDENT FOR
"THE NEW YORK TIMES," FRANK
FIGLIUZZI, MIMI ROCAH AND JEREMY
BASH, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF AT
CIA AND PENTAGON, FORMER CHIEF
COUNSEL FOR THE HOUSE INTEL
COMMITTEE.
COMMITTEE. JEREMY, I’D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH
YOU.
YOU. YOUR REACTION TO THE PRESIDENT’S
WORDS NOW OVER 24 HOURS LATER.
THEY DO LINGER.
>> WHAT INNOCENT PERSON SAYS
WHAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES SAID IN THIS INTERVIEW?
WHAT INNOCENT PERSON SAYS THIS
WAS NOT ILLEGAL, IN FACT, I
WOULD DO IT AGAIN?
I THINK IT IS CLEAR
CONSCIOUSNESS OF GUILT THAT HE
CALLED FOR RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE.
HE RECEIVED RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE.
HE WELCOMED RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE
AND HE HAS REWARDED RUSSIAN
ASSISTANCE.
ASSISTANCE. AND WHAT’S MOST ASTONISHING,
BRIAN, IS THAT HE HAS SAID IN
THE 2020 CAMPAIGN NOT ONLY WOULD
HE WELCOME IT AGAIN BUT THAT HE
URGES EVERYBODY ELSE TO ACCEPT
IT AS WELL.
IT IS THE COMPLETE UNDERMINING
AND BREAKDOWN OF OUR ELECTION
SYSTEM IF THE PERSON AT THE TOP
OF THE POLITICAL FOOD CHAIN, THE
PRESIDENT, SAYS THE RULES DON’T
APPLY.
APPLY. >> FRANK FIGLIUZZI, I’D LIKE TO
PLAY A CLIP FROM A FORMER
COLLEAGUE OF YOURS, ANDREW
McCABE APPEARING TODAY WITH
NICOLLE WALLACE.
NICOLLE WALLACE. >> THE COMMENTS I HEARD
YESTERDAY ONLY REAFFIRM FOR ME
THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAD IN MAY
OF 2017.
OF 2017. IF I AM A FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE
OFFICER TODAY, THE MESSAGE I GOT
FROM THE PRESIDENT’S OWN WORDS
YESTERDAY WAS IT IS OPEN SEASON
ON U.S. POLITICAL FIGURES IN
2020.
2020. >> SO, FRANK, PLAY IT THE WAY
YOU USUALLY DO.
HYPERBOLE ASIDE, WHAT ARE THE
REAL WORLD CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT
THE PRESIDENT SAID YESTERDAY?
HOW WILL THEY STAY WITH US?
>> WELL, WE’RE GOING TO SEE AN
INCREASE, PERHAPS MORE THAN EVER
BEFORE IN RECENT HISTORY, IN
ATTEMPTS AT FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS
TO MEDDLE AND INTERFERE WITH OUR
UPCOMING ELECTION AND WE’RE
GOING TO SEE IT AT ALL LEVELS.
AND HERE’S WHY.
THEY NOW SEE MORE THAN EVER A
PERMISSIVE RESPECTIVE
PERMISSIVE RESPECTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
ENVIRONMENT. TODAY AROUND THE WORLD IN WORLD
CAPITALS, INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
DIRECTORS WERE HAVING
TRANSLATORS TRANSLATE THE
PRESIDENT’S WORDS.
PRESIDENT’S WORDS. THEY WERE SCRATCHING THEIR HEADS
SAYING, DID HE JUST SAY HE WOULD
BE RECEPTIVE AND NOT REPORT TO
THE FBI IF WE GAVE HIM RESEARCH
ON HIS OPPONENTS?
ANSWER, YES, THAT’S WHAT HE
SAID.
SAID. AND SO ANY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE
WORTH THEIR SALT IS SAYING, HOW
CAN WE GET THIS DONE, GET HIM
VULNERABLE AND COMPROMISED BY
HAVING HIM LISTEN TO OUR STUFF
AND YET NOT COME ACROSS THE
RADAR SCREEN OF THE FBI, THE
CIA, ET CETERA?
SO THEY’RE GOING TO GET MORE
SOPHISTICATED AT DOING IT.
THEY’RE GOING TO TRY TO DO IT.
THEY’RE GOING TO DO IT IN A WAY
THAT DOESN’T MAKE THEM LOOK LIKE
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
AND IT’S GOING TO GET VERY, VERY
COMPLICATED.
COMPLICATED. USUALLY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
WOULD BE THE ONE TO STEP IN,
CALL TIME-OUT AND SAY, LOOK, MR.
PRESIDENT, YOU’RE WRONG, I HAVE
THE BACK OF THE FBI, THEY ARE
OUR PREMIER LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY.
AGENCY. HE HASN’T DONE IT.
WE’VE HEARD NOTHING FROM HIM.
AND THE INTELLIGENCE SERVICES
AROUND THE WORLD ARE SAYING
LET’S MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
>> MIMI ROCAH, I NEVER THOUGHT A
DOCUMENT FROM THE FEDERAL
ELECTION COMMISSION COULD BE
SOBERING.
SOBERING. I’VE NEVER SEEN A DOCUMENT LIKE
THAT FROM THE FEDERAL ELECTION
COMMISSION.
COMMISSION. QUESTION FOR YOU, DID THE
PRESIDENT INCREASE HIS LEGAL
PERIL AT ALL YESTERDAY?
>> I THINK HE DID.
I MEAN, AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S
STRIKING TO ME THAT ONE OF THE
THINGS NANCY PELOSI SAID TODAY
IS THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T KNOW RIGHT
FROM WRONG.
FROM WRONG. I REALLY RESPECTFULLY BEG TO
DIFFER WITH THAT.
I THINK IF ANYTHING WHAT THIS
STATEMENT IN THE INTERVIEW SHOWS
IS THAT HE KNOWS HE JUST DOESN’T
CARE.
CARE. AND IT PUTS IN A NEW LIGHT ALL
OF THE CONDUCT, I THINK, THAT
MUELLER DOCUMENTED BECAUSE, YOU
KNOW, HE SPENT -- TRUMP SPENT SO
LONG TELLING US IT DIDN’T
HAPPEN.
HAPPEN. I DIDN’T MEET WITH THE RUSSIANS.
YES, I MET WITH THE RUSSIANS,
BUT IT WASN’T ABOUT THE
ELECTION.
ELECTION. OKAY, WE MET WITH THEM, BUT,
NOW, YOU KNOW, WE’RE AT THE
POINT WHERE IT’S OKAY TO DO
THIS.
THIS. THAT’S WHERE HE’S BEEN ALL
ALONG.
ALONG. IT’S JUST NOW THAT HE’S
ADMITTING IT, BUT I THINK IT
PUTS THAT CONDUCT IN A NEW LIGHT
OF, YEAH, I KNEW I WASN’T
SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THIS.
THAT’S WHY I WOULDN’T ADMIT
DOING IT.
DOING IT. BUT NOW I’M ADMITTING IT.
I JUST DON’T CARE THAT IT’S
WRONG.
WRONG. YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT
WILLFULNESS, INTENT IS AN
ELEMENT OF ANY OF THESE CRIMES,
HE HAS BLOWN THROUGH THE WATER
ON THAT.
ON THAT. I MEAN, YOU BARELY WOULD NEED
ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT
INTERVIEW TO SHOW THE
PRESIDENT’S INTENT TO NOT ONLY
COMMIT A CRIME IN THE FUTURE,
WHICH HE’S ANNOUNCED AND
ADMITTED, BUT I THINK PUTS LIGHT
ON HIS CONDUCT IN THE PAST AS
WELL.
WELL. >> PETER BAKER, ANY SENIOR
REPUBLICANS WHO ARE IN THE
PRESIDENT’S ORBIT AND BY DEFAULT
IN YOUR ORBIT EXPRESSING REAL
REGRET?
REGRET? ALL WE HAVE TO GO ON SO FAR IS
THE PRESIDENT TWEETING ABOUT
WALES.
WALES. >> YEAH, ACTUALLY, THERE WAS A
PRETTY UNIVERSAL REACTION
AGAINST THIS BY REPUBLICANS ON
CAPITOL HILL TODAY.
YOU SAW ANY NUMBER OF REPUBLICAN
SENATORS SAY PRETTY FLATLY, NO,
THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU’RE SUPPOSED
TO DO, THE ANSWER IS SUPPOSED TO
BE NO.
BE NO. YOU JUST HEARD LINDSEY GRAHAM,
MARSHA BLACK BURN, LISA
MURKOWSKI, ONE REPUBLICAN AFTER
ANOTHER SAYING, NO, THIS ISN’T
THE KIND OF THING I WOULD DO.
WHAT ABOUT CHRISTOPHER STEELE?
THAT’S A DIFFERENT SITUATION,
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. THERE IS PLENTY TO ARGUE ABOUT
WITH REGARD TO THE STEELE
DOSSIER.
DOSSIER. CHRISTOPHER STEELE WASN’T
WORKING FOR A HOSTILE
GOVERNMENT, THE RUSSIANS, AND HE
DID TURN HIS DOSSIER OVER TO THE
FBI.
FBI. THE QUESTION IS WHAT THE FBI
THEN DID WITH IT TO JUSTIFY, YOU
KNOW, ITS INVESTIGATION.
SO I THINK THE REPUBLICANS ARE
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS
TODAY.
TODAY. THEY DID NOT WANT TO SEE THE
PRESIDENT REVIVE THIS.
REMEMBER, JUST A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AGO WITH THE MUELLER REPORT, IT
SEEMED LIKE HE HAD PUT THE
RUSSIA PART OF THIS THING BEHIND
HIM THE ISSUE WAS ABOUT
OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE AND THESE
SUBPOENAS, BUT NOT ABOUT RUSSIA.